Carbon

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

I MADE THE effort and put on a frock for lunch, not because I wanted to impress whoever Mother wanted me to meet, but because it simply wasn’t worth the earache she’d give me otherwise. Knee-length and floral, if I was lucky, I’d blend into the Laura Ashley sofa.

Mother looked pointedly at her slim gold watch as I walked into the garden room, and she checked the clock on the wall behind her for good measure. Only a minute late, for goodness’ sake, and Dorothy hadn’t even served the bread rolls yet.

Rather than eating in the formal dining room, Mother always preferred to have lunch overlooking the back lawn, presumably so she could check the gardener was doing his job properly. Despite having a beautiful garden designed by a gold medal winner from the Chelsea Flower Show, she barely set foot outside. I glanced over at the table—four places. Who were they for?

“Didn’t Angelica give you the message about dressing up?” she asked.

I risked a look at myself. Yes, I was still wearing Cath Kidston’s finest with a pale pink cardigan and my late grandmother’s pearls.

“I did.”

Her sigh said it all: where did I go wrong with this one?

I held in my own exhalation as she motioned me to take a pew next to her. Chilly air from the open French windows wafted up my skirt, but it did nothing to cool the fire still burning in my core from last night’s encounter with Mr. M. I crossed my legs and forced myself to breathe as I waited for Mother to explain who we were expecting for lunch.

“Mrs. Fitzgerald from the tennis club will be joining us shortly,” she informed me.

Mrs. Fitzgerald... Mrs. Fitzgerald... Which one was she? All the ladies from the Sandlebury Lawn Tennis Association looked the same to me—perfectly coiffed hair, a touch of Botox, white skirts more suited to a woman half their age, and enough jewellery to dazzle their opponents to distraction. Angie still kept up a membership, but I’d cancelled mine years ago. On the rare occasions I still picked up a racket, I played against my sister on our own court.

“Lovely.” I forced a smile. “Is she bringing a friend?”

“Her son. You remember Gregory? He attended the fencing club with you until he went away to boarding school.”

Ah, fencing—something else I wasn’t very good at. Ben, the boy I’d sat next to in English and French, convinced me to start classes, but he was far better at it than me. I only went along because Mother said I had to go to ballet otherwise, an activity I took to with the grace of a grasshopper and the enthusiasm of a sloth.

And yes, I did remember Gregory, particularly the time he’d laughed at me when I put my fencing jacket on the wrong way around. Even though Gregory was two years older than us, I’d still had to stop Ben from doing something unsportsmanlike with his épée.

And now Gregory was expected for lunch. Hurrah. “Yes, I remember him. But why is he coming here?”

I had a horrible feeling I knew the answer.

Mother rose from the sofa with an elegance I’d never mastered and glided over to the table. “Where’s Dorothy?” she muttered. “I’ll need to have a word about her timekeeping.”

“Mother, why is Gregory coming?”

A tiny frown creased her forehead, then she smiled. Her expression told me I wouldn’t like what she had to say.

“Gregory’s just moved back from California, and his mother says he’s ready to try dating after his divorce. Of course, I thought of you. It’s about time you made the effort again.”

“Effort to what?”

She gave her head a little shake. “To get married, of course.”

“Mother, I don’t want to get married again.”

Truth be told, I hadn’t wanted to walk down the aisle in the first place, but I’d given in to the pressure—from her, from Rupert, from his family. And after last night, emulating Angie and her penchant for no-strings s*x held a certain appeal.

“Nonsense, darling. You’re almost thirty, and your biological clock is ticking away.”

“So is Angie’s.”

“Yes, but at least she dates. It’s not her fault it’s so difficult to hold down a high-pressured job as well as finding an eligible bachelor.”

I wanted to scream at the injustice of it all. Angie didn’t date; she just had a whole series of one-night stands. And that high-flying career? That was my bloody job. Angie spent most of her working life on social media, which although necessary for Sapphire’s reputation, wasn’t exactly taxing.

“Please, Mother, I’m not—”

“Here they are now.” She pricked her ears at the sound of the doorbell. “Smile, Augusta. You look as if you’re about to eat lunch at a homeless shelter.”

Quite frankly, I’d have preferred that. I’d also have preferred if my mother stopped being so judgemental—I’d volunteered at a shelter last Christmas and met some really lovely people. But that was my mother. She’d go to the grave criticising the vicar’s choice of footwear.

Dorothy showed Mrs. Fitzgerald in, then scurried off as Mother tapped her watch. I wished I could have followed her.

“Sandra, how lovely to see you,” Mother cooed.

Air kisses followed while I stared awkwardly at Gregory. “Uh, hi.”

This was why I preferred to write all my words rather than speak them. My tongue tied itself in knots, and I never knew what to say. Except with Midnight. Words had been unnecessary, but my tongue sure had loosened in his mouth. Since my encounter with him last night, I’d checked my phone over and over for another message, but he’d been the silent one.

“Good to see you,” Gregory said, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. “It’s been a long time.”

His tan spoke of warmer climes than England, but when he got close, I gave a subtle sniff and stifled my giggle. Yes, that delicate bronze colour came from a spray booth rather than the sun. I’d smelled the same strange aroma on Angelica. At least I could eliminate the possibility of him being Mr. Midnight—his sexy musk had been all man.

“Yes, it has been a long time. Fifteen years?” More than half my life. Honestly, what was Mother thinking?

“So kind of you to invite us around today.” He placed a hand on my arm. “Although next time, you don’t need to send your mother with your invite. I won’t bite.”

Ouch. His overly white teeth hurt my eyes when he grinned, and I clenched my own together. Mother told him this was my idea?

“I’ll remember that.”

“Anyway, how have you been? Have you stayed in Sandlebury all this time?”

Of course. I wasn’t brave enough to escape its clutches. “Yes, I still live at home. Angie and I share the annex. How about you? Mother said you lived in California?”

“Since I finished medical school. Met a girl from LA in my final year, and we moved there when we graduated.”

He’d become a doctor? That surprised me—he’d never seemed the altruistic type as a child. “I didn’t realise you’d gone into medicine. Which field?”

“Cosmetic surgery.” He showed me those teeth again. “Always happy to offer a discount to old friends.”

Well, that was generous of... Hang on. “You think I need work done?”

A little of his colour faded, from burnt umber to a disturbing shade of orange. “So sorry, I didn’t mean it the way it came out.” He ran his eyes up and down my body, and I wished I’d never asked the question. “No, you’re absolutely fine as you are.”

Fine? Fine? Last night, Mr. Midnight had made me feel desirable, sexy even, but Gregory had undone all that with one sentence. Still, Mother was watching me, so I swallowed the remains of my pride.

“That’s good to hear.”

Mrs. Fitzgerald clasped my hands in hers. “So nice to see you again, Augusta.”

“And you.”

Please, palms, stop sweating.

“I hear you’re working as your sister’s secretary.”

“Something like that.”

“Wonderful, wonderful. Not all girls are career-driven, you know, and that’s the way it should be. Far better to work for a few years and then stay home with the children while your husband climbs the ladder.” She pinched Gregory on the cheek, and he rolled his eyes. “Luckily, my Gregory has a good job.”

“Mother, stop scaring Augusta. We’re only having lunch.”

I shot him a grateful glance, but his comment rolled off her.

“Nonsense. The two of you aren’t getting any younger. Now, why don’t you sit next to each other while we eat?”

My mother flashed a smile and slid into a chair opposite. “What a wonderful idea.”

Gregory pulled my chair out before settling next to me, and to give him credit, he looked about as comfortable with the situation as I felt.

“How long ago did my mother extend the invite for this little get-together?” I whispered to him after the main course.

Both of our mothers were ignoring us in favour of a discussion on flower arranging, and we’d more-or-less exhausted the small talk on current affairs and the weather.

“She suggested it a couple of weeks back, but I’m afraid I’ve been too busy with my job up until now.”

He’d told me all about his new position at the private hospital in the next town, specialising in breast augmentation. I’ll admit the thought of dating a man who spent every day with his hands on other women’s boobs made me cringe.

“Well, today was the first I heard about it.”

“Oh dear. I was under the impression you were rather keen, just a bit shy.”

“Not exactly.”

An awkward silence followed as Dorothy cleared the plates away. After the slightly uncomfortable start, Gregory had proven to be less unpleasant than I feared, and a far cry from the bratty boy I’d detested. With fifteen years having passed, I guess he’d changed, even if I still felt like a ten-year-old child intimidated by his proximity.

“With all the time I spent overseas, I forgot how meddlesome Mother could be. Until I went to university, she was forever trying to run my life.”

“I sort of wish I’d gone away to university, but as I attended Oxford, I was close enough to catch the train into town each day.”

“I didn’t realise you were an Oxford girl. Congratulations. Went to Cambridge myself. We probably shouldn’t be speaking after your boys thrashed us in the boat race this year.”

A giggle bubbled up before I could stop it. “Mainly because your team’s boat nearly sank. The wind was terrible. I’m so glad I only watched on television.”

“I stood on the banks of the Thames one year, in the rain, but I don’t remember much about it due to the pub crawl afterwards.”

“Aren’t doctors supposed to act responsibly?”

“Ah, but I wasn’t a doctor then, merely a student.”

Chatting with Gregory came more easily over dessert, and when I glanced at the clock, I was amazed to find two hours had flown by, even if half of that time was taken up by me reliving last night with Mr. M while Gregory waffled on about a recent medical conference. I’d successfully wasted most of the day, and I needed to get some editing done if I was going to meet my next deadline.

“So sorry, but I’m afraid I need to excuse myself. I promised to update Angie on a few things before she goes out this evening.”

Mother dabbed at her mouth with a napkin and gave Mrs. Fitzgerald a knowing look. “So lovely to see you two getting along. It’s a good thing Gregory’s coming to my Black and Red party a week next Saturday.”

Gregory raised an eyebrow. “I am?”

His mother fixed him with a hard stare. “Yes, Carolyn invited us both last month. Don’t you remember?”

He turned to me and shrugged. “Looks like I’ll see you a week next Saturday, then.”

“Looks like you will.”

Weirdly, I didn’t hate the idea as much as I thought I would.